The bill aims to enhance election security in Washington State by introducing new cybersecurity measures for county election offices, with a deadline for implementation set for July 1, 2027. Key provisions include the mandatory adoption of the ".gov" top-level domain for all election-related websites and email communications, which is intended to reduce confusion and cyber threats. Additionally, the bill requires the partitioning of internal government networks to create a more secure environment for election infrastructure, as well as immediate communication of any security breaches by vendors supporting county or state cyber assets to the Secretary of State and the Attorney General.

Amendments to existing laws include a requirement for the Secretary of State to approve all voting systems and related technologies before their use in elections, and a stipulation that counties must maintain an intrusion detection system to monitor for malicious activity continuously. The bill also mandates that counties disclose any security breaches or malicious activities related to their election systems promptly. New sections added to the law outline specific cybersecurity measures that county auditors must implement, such as isolating ballot counting equipment from other networks and restricting data transfers to secure, single-use devices.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 29A.12.050, 29A.12.020
Substitute Bill: 29A.12.050, 29A.12.020